Hristina Nikolova

Hristina Nikolova is a behavioral data scientist and leading consumer insights expert on joint decision-making with 12+ years of experience conducting award-wining quantitative and qualitative research published in top academic and practitioner journals. Nikolova’s research focuses on dyadic decision-making, interpersonal relationships, and data-driven consumer welfare interventions. Specifically, Nikolova has two research streams: (1) the influence of dyadic decision-making contexts (e.g., decisions made jointly by two partners, such as choosing a restaurant/movie, buying a home, or making long-term retirement choices together) on consumer behavior (her primary area of research expertise and interest); and (2) data-driven consumer welfare interventions. 

Nikolova’s pioneering research work on dyadic decision-making work has won several research awards including but not limited to: the Society for Consumer Psychology Early Career Award (2023), the Journal of Marketing Research Paul E. Green Award Finalist (2023), the Franco Nicosia ACR Competitive Paper Award (2019), John A. Howard/American Marketing Association Doctoral Dissertation Award (2014), American Marketing Association CBSIG Rising Star Award (2014), Association for Consumer Research/Sheth Foundation Dissertation Award (2012), Society for Marketing Advances Dissertation Proposal Runner-Up Award (2012), the Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Highly Commended Award (2012), and the Academy of Marketing Science Mary Kay Dissertation Competition Honorable Mention (2013). In addition, her research contributions were recognized by the prestigious Marketing Science Institute Young Scholar award (2019). 

Nikolova’s research has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Retailing, and Psychology & Marketing, and featured in the Wall Street Journal, Time, Forbes, Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, New York Magazine, ABC News, Expert Beacon, Shape, and Allure among others.   

Nikolova completed her Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh and was previously an Assistant Professor at Boston College.